School Spotlight
Collin College
Speech Code Rating
- At present, FIRE does not maintain information on this school's policies.
Collin Community College District: Professor Unconstitutionally Fired for Unionizing, Criticizing the College’s COVID-19 Response
March 7, 2022
Jones v. Collin College – Complaint Suzanne Jones worked as professor of education for twenty years at Collin College before the College terminated her for unionizing faculty and criticizing the College’s plan to return to in-person teaching in the Fall of 2020. Jones helped author a resolution summarizing faculty concerns with returning to teach in-person… Read more
Collin Community College District: History Professor Fired for Talking About History, Criticizing the College’s COVID-19 Response
March 7, 2022
Related Cases: Burnett, Jones Phillips v. Collin College – Complaint Michael Phillips is an award-winning history professor at Collin College in McKinney, Texas. As an expert on the history of race relations, Phillips spoke out in the media advocating for removing Confederate monuments in Dallas. Two years later, he granted a media interview about a… Read more
Collin College: Professors Dismissed Over COVID-19 Criticism, Union Advocacy
February 4, 2021
In January 2021, Collin College summoned professors Audra Heaslip and Suzanne Jones to separate meetings within hours of each other. The professors — who represent two thirds of the leadership of a local chapter of the Texas Faculty Association, a non-collective bargaining union — were informed their contracts would not be renewed due to objections… Read more
Collin Community College District: History Professor Fired for Criticizing Mike Pence and Her College’s COVID-19 Response Online
October 16, 2020
Burnett v. Collin College – Complaint Lora Burnett was a full-time history professor at Collin College. Like many Americans, Burnett shared her thoughts about important public issues, such as the 2020 presidential election and the COVID-19 pandemic on Twitter. During the October 2020 vice presidential debate, Burnett tweeted: “The moderator needs to talk over Mike… Read more
LAWSUIT: A history professor advocated for removing Confederate statues. Then his college fired him.
March 8, 2022
FIRE sues Collin College — again — this time for firing “Educator of the Year” and historian Michael Phillips for talking about history and for criticizing the college’s COVID-19 policies. Phillips is the third professor in the past year to sue the college for First Amendment violations. FIRE also represents Suzanne Jones in her lawsuit… Read more
Speak your mind, but not like that: Are we all hypocrites when it comes to cancel culture?
February 8, 2022
The results of FIRE’s national “free speech and cancel culture” survey are in, and, in a win for the First Amendment, they reveal strong support for free speech, and widespread concern about cancel culture. Eighty-three percent of respondents either “somewhat” or “strongly” agreed that democracy can only thrive if there is free speech, and 63%… Read more
10 Worst Colleges for Free Speech: 2022
February 2, 2022
There’s no shortage of colleges and universities that will go to great lengths to stifle free speech. Some institutions are worse than others, which is why each year for over a decade, FIRE compiles a list of the worst-of-the-worst. Since our first list in 2011, FIRE has named and shamed 80 institutions in 33 states for… Read more
VICTORY: Collin College to pay thousands to history professor fired for tweets
January 25, 2022
Judgment will be entered against Collin College to end professor Lora Burnett’s First Amendment lawsuit Burnett is one of three former faculty members whose speech rights were trampled by Collin College in 2021 MCKINNEY, Texas, Jan. 25, 2022 — Today, Lora Burnett, a former Collin College history professor fired for tweets critical of the college… Read more
How adjunctification undermines academic freedom, and what FIRE is doing to help
December 6, 2021
One of the enduring myths of higher education is that the vast majority of professors are protected by tenure and have jobs for life, and so they are therefore free to research, teach, or speak openly about controversial ideas without fear of professional retaliation. This may have been the case 50 years ago — maybe… Read more
LAWSUIT: Fired for criticizing Mike Pence and campus COVID-19 response, a Collin College history professor sues to protect faculty rights
October 26, 2021
FIRE files lawsuit on behalf of Lora Burnett, a former Collin College professor, fired for tweets that criticized then-Vice President Mike Pence and the college’s leadership during the pandemic. In private text exchange with Texas state legislator upset about Burnett’s tweets, college president promised to ‘deal with it’ — then terminated her. MCKINNEY, Texas, Oct…. Read more
Collin College sued over dismissal of professor Suzanne Jones, union advocate and critic of Confederate monuments, COVID-19 response
September 24, 2021
When professor Suzanne Jones’ contract came up for renewal at Texas’ Collin College, a public institution, she was a shoo-in. Faculty and administrators recommended her renewal: She was an “excellent faculty member” who earned “positive” evaluations from students and colleagues alike, kept her expertise in her field current, and had long shown commitment to the… Read more
University of Iowa issues — then quickly rescinds — guidance to faculty restricting speech related to COVID-19 vaccinations and masks
August 12, 2021
On Tuesday, the University of Iowa issued guidance to its faculty restricting speech on the topics of COVID-19 vaccinations and mask usage. Perhaps recognizing that the guidance was unconstitutional, UI removed it from the provost’s website today to make revisions. FIRE calls on UI to ensure the revised guidance fully respects faculty members’ First Amendment… Read more
Flailing: Collin College attempts to ban ‘anger’ at board meetings
June 25, 2021
After enduring months of faculty, student, and public anger over the terminations of faculty members — dismissed for supporting a faculty union, criticizing the college’s COVID-19 reopening, or drawing the ire of elected officials — Collin College’s board is going back to censorship basics: The board has decided to ban the public from expressing “anger,”… Read more
Head of Collin County praises terminations of faculty who criticized Collin College administration
March 10, 2021
Over the last several months, Collin College’s leadership has moved to terminate three faculty members — Lora Burnett, Audra Heaslip, and Suzanne Jones — over the exercise of their First Amendment rights to criticize both political figures and their institutional leadership. Now, Collin County’s highest elected official has chimed in, sending an email to a… Read more
Collin College fires third professor in transparent campaign to cull its critics
February 26, 2021
Yesterday, Collin College — a public institution in McKinney, Texas — said it would end its relationship with Lora Burnett, a history professor whose social media comments have attracted the attention of media, the public, and at least one state lawmaker. That action is retaliatory — and Burnett is not the only Collin College faculty… Read more
10 Worst Colleges for Free Speech: 2021
February 17, 2021
This year, the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education is releasing its 10th list of the “worst colleges for free speech.” Since our first list in 2011, more than 70 institutions in 31 states have found themselves named and shamed for actively working to shut down student and faculty speech rights. Each year, hundreds of… Read more
FIRE presents the 10 Worst Colleges for Free Speech: 2021
February 17, 2021
PHILADELPHIA, Feb. 17, 2021 — Would you make a student homeless during the pandemic because you didn’t like something he said? Or threaten faculty doctors fighting COVID-19 with termination for speaking to the press? If you’re a campus official at one of the schools on this list, you just might! In the 10th edition of… Read more
[UPDATED] After four months of stonewalling, Collin College reveals the ‘contacts from legislators’ over Pence critic
February 16, 2021
Last week, Collin College finally turned over a document it fought for months to conceal: The records of the “contacts from legislators” its administration received after conservative media outlets republished a professor’s tweets criticizing then-Vice President Mike Pence. The backstory: Last fall, in the run up to the presidential election, Collin College professor Lora Burnett… Read more
Collin College cracks down on COVID critics and union organizers, dismissing two professors and warning a third
February 4, 2021
Collin College in Texas is already under FIRE’s microscope for inappropriately responding to a faculty member’s online political speech. Now, the college’s leadership has thrown caution to the wind. Senior administrators at the college directed that professor Audra Heaslip and professor Suzanne Jones be dismissed when their contracts expire — despite recommendations from the college’s… Read more
Texas Attorney General: Collin College must release records of legislator ‘contacts’ about professor’s Pence tweet
January 29, 2021
Last fall, in the run up to the presidential election, Collin College professor Lora Burnett shared her less-than-enthusiastic thoughts about the debate performance of then-Vice President Mike Pence, who Burnett tweeted should shut “his little demon mouth up.” After the tweet was highlighted by conservative media outlets, college district President H. Neil Matkin complained that… Read more
On the shady side of the stone wall, Collin College continues to shield legislators’ communications over professor’s tweets about Vice President Pence
December 4, 2020
In October, professor Lora Burnett’s tweets rebuking Vice President Mike Pence drew condemnation and a written warning from Collin College, while the institution’s president complained that the tweets had attracted the attention of “legislators” and members of the public, most calling for Burnett’s termination. FIRE wrote to the college twice in defense of Burnett’s First… Read more
Collin College stonewalls inquiries into legislators’ ‘contacts’ over professor’s tweets about Vice President Pence
November 12, 2020
Public college refuses FIRE’s request for legislators’ inquiries, complains nobody wants the whole story EVENT: Hear embattled professor defend free expression on Friday, Nov. 13 In October, Lora Burnett, a professor at Collin College in McKinney, Texas, came under fire for tweets critical of Vice President Mike Pence, leading to an ominous warning from her… Read more
Collin College’s Texas two-stepping on free speech continues
October 23, 2020
Last week, my colleague Adam Steinbaugh wrote about FIRE’s ongoing defense of the rights of Collin College professor Lora Burnett, who came under fire for her tweets critical of Vice President Mike Pence during the recent vice presidential debate. While publicly, Collin College President Neil Matkin seemed understanding enough that Burnett’s tweets were protected by… Read more
In hinting at the ‘execution’ of ‘personnel policies,’ Collin College betrays its duty to vigorously defend professor who criticized Pence
October 16, 2020
Nearly 58 million people watched Vice President Michael Pence and Sen. Kamala Harris square off in the vice presidential debate last week. Online, Americans of all political persuasions sounded off, continuing our nation’s long tradition of arguing over national political affairs. And, of course, some of those Americans were faculty members, leading conservative media outlets… Read more